 Hello and welcome to Exchange for Media. Today in our mom boss series, we chat with a super mom, Sujata Thuvedi, who's been in the business of media planning, buying and research for over 24 years. She's presently the Chief Investment and Trading Officer at Amplify India at Dentsu. Welcome to E4M Sujata. Thank you. Thank you so much, Aditi. So earlier this month, we had Mother's Day. One day is definitely not enough to celebrate amazing mothers and also to tell their amazing stories to our viewers and readers. So we at E4M decided to dedicate this entire month to the amazing moms who are making a mark in their professional lives as well as coming best mothers. And we are so glad to have you, Sujata. Thank you so much, Aditi. So to begin with, I would like to know how many kids do you have and how old are they? Oh, I have just one lovely daughter. She's going to turn 18 this year. Wonderful. So if I ask you, what are the biggest challenges of being a working mother and in your journey with Dentsu, have you also faced challenges in maintaining a work-life balance? So, you know, the journey of being a mother and a working woman in a nuclear family, especially in the industry that we are in, irrespective of Dentsu or any other agency. This is my 24th year in the industry. It's not really easy. But, you know, with the many challenges that every mother faces, the most difficult thing is, you know, overcoming the guilt that we don't spend much time with our children. And that, you know, really takes away a lot of our energy. And yeah, so with long hours in the offices earlier and now even post the COVID thing happened while we are on the machine at home also, you know, the challenge continues. We never have enough time with the kid. So that is something which kind of, you know, overweighs your emotions. And over the years, that's been the most difficult thing. But, you know, I started feeling lately, you know, as I've grown older and with my kid growing up, I realized that it is more critical to spend quality time over the years. And hence, I've made kind of a truce with the guilt that I used to have. And I also feel that, you know, we need to work and plan whatever we should in the industry. And it really helps us to think pragmatically. So we can plan our days ahead and we can prioritize what needs to get done so that we can take out some time with the kid. Also, I've been very vocal, you know, throughout these years in asking for help. For example, you know, whenever I've needed support, I've called up my immediate family or, you know, friends, relatives to an extent that, you know, I've also called my friends, my daughters, parents to support sometimes when needed and after travel or I'm working late. So, you know, those kind of things have to be kind of used to your best benefit because it's otherwise very difficult in the industry because we work late hours a lot. Right. So if I ask you, has the idea of success for you changed after you became a mom? Yes, of course. So, you know, being a mom truly changes the way we look at things. Patience and forgiveness, empathy and compassion, all these come naturally to us now. So success to me after 18 years of motherhood is no more about a designation. It is more about setting an example in terms of resilience, honesty, integrity, loyalty, sincerity. It is more about her recognizing and looking up to the values that I follow without, you know, me talking much about it. So everything is perishable. And, you know, as you grow older with your children, you realize that, you know, these intangible things are what are critical and it's important to imbibe these values amongst them. So being a mom, I think these little things matter a lot more and they're much more taller than the tangible designations or money, you know, all those success don't matter. What are the values we're able to imbibe in them really matters? Right. And what do you love the most about being a mom? Well, you know, when you know that your child loves you unconditionally, it gives you, you know, that much needed power and strength. You're well aware that despite everything that happens in the office or on a project or you've had a bad day, at the end of the day, you're going to get back home to your child who will welcome you and not judge you for what you are, you know, they will still love you for whatever you do. So it's a complete different high and also each day there is so much that gives, you know, teachers knowingly or unknowingly. It is a different thing altogether. That's right. And I think my last question now to you is what advice would you like to give to career oriented mother? Never give up. You know, the universe is always there to support us. If we genuinely want to work, never hesitate to ask for help, whether at the office, home or neighborhood, please do not overload yourself and with the burden that, you know, you're a superwoman, you know, the washing of clothes can wait. There are so many temporary house helps available today. In fact, our days, there was no Swiggy Zomato, but today you do have Swiggy Zomato to manage your meal. And you don't have to do everything, please. I mean, you know, don't overload. So do look up to, you know, the women like there are so many mentors around there are so many people who've been working for years, learn from them. So I have had the privilege of working with some of the amazing moms in my industry. And I feel there's no depth of these inspiration and mentorship that we look around. Also talking to fellow mothers and seniors in your office gives a lot of strength and direction. And most importantly, you should not give up the jobs which have worked so hard to get. Be very strong mentally and emotionally. There are bad days, there are tough times. But when the going gets tough, only the tough get going, right? Absolutely. It was a pleasure talking to you, Sujata. Thank you for joining us. And we wish you all the best. Thank you so much, Aditi. Take care. Thank you.